President Obama’s supposed grassroots group, Organizing for America, is actually anything but, as invitations for the group’s private unveiling event last week revealed its ties to big business, big political donors, and even wealthy philanthropist George Soros.

Organizing for America is headed by Jim Messina, President Obama’s 2012 campaign chief. The group was touted as a grassroots groups with a public relations mission to sell Mr. Obama’s second-term policy to a nationwide audience. But Politico reveals the group isn’t so grassroots after all.

At its previous, mostly private “Road Ahead” meeting at the Newseum on Saturday, the group reached out to sponsors such as Microsoft, Walmart and PG&E, Politico reported. And the invitations for that gathering came not only from Mr. Obama’s National Finance Committee — but also from two George Soros-funded groups, the Center for American Progress and Media Matters, according to the report.

Grassroots activists weren’t even brought on board the Organizing for America mission until the following day, at a much more publicly touted and open unveiling event at the Washington Hilton. There, the message was definitely grassroots: One spokesman said the nonprofit would “absolutely” receive funding from small donors, rather than corporate interests, Politico reported.